The Deutsche Bundesbank mourns the passing of Julia Dingwort-Nusseck. The former President of the Land Central Bank of Lower Saxony and the first woman on the Bundesbank’s Central Bank Council passed away on 7 June 2025 at the age of 103. Until it was superseded by the Executive Board in 2002, she was also its only female member.

From journalism to central banking

Ms Dingwort-Nusseck, who held a Ph.D. in economics, began her career as a journalist in the late 1940s. What set her articles apart was her ability to present economic and economic policy interrelationships in an entertaining manner and to make them understandable to the general public. After various managerial positions at the Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), she ended up taking over as TV editor-in-chief at Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR).

With many years of central banking expertise at the WDR under her belt, in 1976 she was nominated by Ernst Albrecht, then Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, for the post of President of the Land Central Bank of Lower Saxony. 

Commitment to the European currency 

As a member of the Bundesbank’s Central Bank Council, Ms Dingwort-Nusseck participated in decisions on German monetary policy. There, she was the only woman on an all-male council. This situation took some getting used to for the men, she recounted years later; they had never had a woman in their midst. For her, not so at all: In all of my positions, I was always the first woman. Eight years later, she was appointed to a second term of office as President of the Land Central Bank. 

Julia Dingwort-Nusseck was a pioneer in German monetary policy and an outstanding personality. With her commitment and expertise, she made a significant contribution to German and European monetary policy. Her term of office coincided with the start of the European Monetary System in 1979, an important step on the road to the single European currency today, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said. Looking ahead towards monetary union, Ms Dingwort-Nusseck was an advocate of the “coronation theory”, according to which a single currency should only come at the end, as the “coronation”, of a process of political unification in Europe. This was in contrast to the idea of introducing a single currency as early as possible for it to serve as a catalyst for further integration.

Understandable to a broad audience

Making economic interrelationships accessible to the general public was always close to Ms Dingwort-Nusseck’s heart. Her ability to make complex central bank topics understandable will remain unforgotten, Mr Nagel said. “Our thoughts and best wishes go out to her family and loved ones.”